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Exceptional Lighting.

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One of the things I am always on the look out for when I am out hiking is Lighting effects on various trees.This usually occurs late afternoon and into the evening.The trick is to fine a composition to fit the tree into.The above photo shows an example of what I did to show the best effect of the side lighting.I created a very tight composition showing quiet water along the river’s edge,some green reflection of the tree in the foreground and reddish rocks to add depth and color.This photo was shot with the zoom lense at 80 mm.The shutter speed was set at 0.6 sec @ f22.

Early evening lighting filtering through the trees and side lighting  the evergreens atop a cliff was the subject of this composition.Using the rocks as a base and the water in the foreground I was able to complete this photo.Shot with a zoom lense set at 100 mm and a shutter speed of 25 sec and f 5.6.

There are many lighting effects to be seen as you hike along trails and rivers edges, you just have to learn to observe the various effects and see what type a composition you can come up with.So until next time happy trails.

Photography

McGee Falls

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Happy Easter everyone and your families.

A couple weeks ago Paul Smith and myself stopped in at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge.The lodge is located 22 miles North of Massey in a  beautiful wilderness area.You may access there website for more info and plan a beautiful photographic experience.

http://www.thunderbearlodge.com

The hospitality is excellent.We stayed for coffee and Jerry the owner of the lodge told us about McGee Falls. We headed out there yesterday with two quads from the lodge as the falls is 5 miles off the main road. Paul and I are novices at driving quads so we took our time driving over some pretty rough trails.On arriving we where not disappointed  in the scenery.An area of pristine beauty lay before us with rushing water and colorful rock structures.

The day was cloudy with a threat of rain and very windy.It was difficult photographing at best.We were able to get some photos by not photographing any trees in the photo as you can see in the above photo.The photo was shot at 135 mm with a shutter speed 0.3 sec at f 22.

The next photo was shot with the zoom lense set at 56 mm and a shutter speed of 1 sec at f 22. There is some nice lighting in this photo and I wanted to show the rocks to good effect.The cloud cover got darker and it started to rain so we thought we had better head out and back to the lodge.

If you are ever in the area stop in for a coffee with Jerry and enjoy the scenery.For those looking for a different photographic adventure call Jerry at the East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge and make arrangements.

East Bull Lake Wilderness Lodge

Photography
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This past Sunday I took a trip into Cameron Falls for an evening shoot.The sky was clear and blue with no cloud cover.The wind was brisk and cool but we have to remember it is still March.The water levels were quite low and there were lots of pools. A trio of Hooded Mergansers flew in to the open water below the falls. It was fun to watch the males chase after one another in there attempts to court the female.

With blue from the sky,copper from the rocks,gold from the evergreens reflecting into the pools and the low light filtering through the trees onto the rocks in the top right hand corner I created this colorful scene.

I set my 28-135 zoom @ 80mm and the shutter speed  at 1 sec,F22.Using the black rocks for fore ground  I set this shot up.

Photography

Mares and Foals

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As an owner along with my wife Maureen of a Miniature Horse farm I have many oportunities to photo these wonderful little horses. The foals are usually born between April and June. The best time to photograph the little foals is in the first 2 weeks. You have to remember that the foals average only 20 to 22 inches in height. Most of the time I am down on my knees to catch the action using my 28 to 135 zoom lense. I set the camera on shutter priority and set the 3.5 frames per second to capture the action.

I like to turn the mares and foals out around 10 in the morning to get good lighting as shutter speed is a priority in this type of shooting.You have to learn to anticipate action and be ready for it.It is a joy to watch these little foals run and jump and play. They sure can run and turn on a dime. You usually have about an hour of fast action and then the little ones get tired and take a nap under the mares watchful eyes. There is a lot of luck involved here too as you have to be constantly on the watch for shots like above.

The main thing here is get low on the ground,fast shutter and be able to anticipate what is going to happen.

Photography

The Fine Art of Lighting

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Every once in a while as you go about doing your photographing you look up and catch a scene that is made in heaven. Realizing that you only have moments to capture it you grab your equipment and rush to set up. You appraise the scene for a proper composition and set up the tripod and camera. I had to get as close as I could to get an effective composition. The whole scene lasted about 2 minutes so time was important. The sun was below the treeline and receding very quickly. There was enough fall color to add the extra touch to the photo and the lighting had reached its maximum point as it was starting to recede. There was a bit of reflection in the water to add depth and I found a rock to add to the foreground for added depth.

This photo was shot at a lense setting of 135mm set at 2.5 sec @ f29.I took this photo 5:30 in the evening last September.With high hills surrounding the creek and falls it tends to darken early.When photographing you should always be aware of your surroundings for that special photo opportunity.The lighting at late evening changes very quickly.

Photography

The Lone Strawberry Plant

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It was a cool mid November,when my partner Paul Smith and I had trekked into Cameron Falls ,North of Massey Ontario. The cloud cover was moving in that evening making for poor lighting on the waterfalls areas. As I walked among the rocks I spied a lone strawberry plant growing on a small ledge. Its location probably created a micro-climate in order for it to survive this late in the Fall. The reddish color of the leaves along with an interesting backdrop of yellowish rock would create an interesting composition. Setting up as close as I could with the tripod, I was maxed out at 135 mm and the camera was set at 2.5 sec @ f29. The cloudy skies and low lighting provided the soft light. Placing the Strawberry plant to the left in the photo and the small water puddle in the lower bottom right corner tells us that this plant has light and water to survive.Even when conditions are not ideal you can always locate interesting subjects to photograph.

I would like to take this time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Photography

Exploring New Surroundings

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One of the things I like to do is explore new surroundings. Birch Creek  flows East of Massey Ontario and there is a lovely waterfalls to photograph. My partner Paul Smith and I have made a number of trips here during the fall, but always bypassed the lower end of Birch Creek. We kept saying that we should check that area out. On our last trip late in the fall we walked down to the creek and started walking along it towards the waterfalls. This was late fall and most of the colored leaves had already fallen. With this in mind we would explore the area for photographing next year. Walking along the creek I spotted the golden sunlight coming through the trees up ahead and the creek bent to the left creating the around the bend effect.I quickly looked for foreground and found greyish colored rocks covered with lichen and moss. I also was able to get some leaf color into the photo also.This photo was shot at 50 mm with the zoom lense set at 1.6 sec. @ f29. We explored further along and found some more areas that will be worth checking out at a later date. By this time the creek area was becoming heavy in shadow.Needless to say we will come back next fall to do some more photographing here.

Photography

Late Evening Reflections

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Water takes on a life of its own when you have the right evening conditions.The sky is clear and the sunlight is   filtering through the trees, illuminating the reddish rocks in this particular photo.The reddish coloration will then turn the water into a reddish hue. The lighting is also very soft. It is almost dark when this occurs so you have to quickly set up your shot or lose it.The photo was captured at 28 mm with settings of 1 sec @ f22.The rocks in the background are also highlighted into a nice warm glow giving the photo added depth. The water goes from a reddish tone in the background to a more copper tone in the foreground.

Photography

Rushing Water

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Hello everyone. It is now winter in my part of the country.We had a couple inches of snow the other day. Thank you for the comment Rebecca.

I was at Chutes Provincial Park in Massey Ontario for the first time with a couple photogrphy friends,John Kurczak and Paul Smith exploring the Chutes and Severn Sisters Falls this fall.

When I am out photographing, I am always on the lookout for a composition that is a little different than normal. The above photo fits that scenario. By framing the rushing water with the reddish brown ferns at the bottom and left side,your eye is led into the photo. On the right are unique chocolate rocks that have uniform shapes to add to framing the water.This shot was taken on a cloudy day at 10:00 AM in the morning. I had to wait till the sun went behind clouds to even out the lighting and not blow out the highlights in the water.I shot this photo on tripod at 35mm set to 1/4 sec. @ f22.

Photography

The Power of Water

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One of the things I am always on the lookout for is something different to photograph. I like a tightly composed photograph that has no clutter. The Power of Water is such a photograph. It was composed using just the rocks and water in the composition.This photo was shot at 28 mm with settings of 1 sec. @ f22.I find evening is the perfect time to photograph water as the lighting is no longer harsh on the water. This prevents blown highlights when there is strong lighting striking the water.I had to get out on a narrow rock and set up my tripod at its lowest height. Seeing as there was not much room for me and the tripod I sat down and twisted my head to the camera and composed this shot. The rock I was on was very smooth and I had to be careful not to slide off into the cold water.

The next time you are out photographing look closely around you and you will be surprised at what you can find. Nature is full of  hidden gems  that will create a beautiful photo. Just be aware of your lighting. Until next time happy photographing